Improvement in breech-loading fire-arms



UNITED @rares artnr rrrcn.

JAItVIS DAVIS, OF BUFFALO, NEV YORK, ASSIGNOR TO PATRIOK SMITH,

OF SAME PLACE. I

IMPROVEMENT lN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 12,529, dated April26,1864.

To @ZZ whom it 11th/,y concern.-

Be it known that I, JARvIs DAvIs, of the city of Buffalo, county ofErie, and State of New York, assigner to PATRICK SMITH, of the sameplace, have made new and useful Improvements in Breech and MuzzleLoading Bies; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full andexact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure I is alongitudinal section showing my present improvements as a breech-loader-Fig. II is a cross-section on line a b of Fig. I. Fig. III is alongitudinal section and end .elevation of a combined chamber andexpansion breech-pin and percussion-nipple, which converts thebreech-1oader into a muzzle-loader.

Letters of like name and kind refer to like parts in each of the gures.

The nature of this invention relates, first,l to the application and useof a spring placed under the groovedblock, and so formed as to act uponor against the hinged abutment to hold it in place when shut, and tohold it open, as required.

A represents a strong flat steel spring in the form of the letterx U,which is placed in a chamber or recess below the hinged abutment F, andso formed and placed that it will reach up on either side of the groovedblock J, (recesses being cut in the sides of the block for thatpurpose,) with the free end thereof bearing strongly against the hingepart of the abutment in a manner to hold the hinged abutment shut oropen, as desired. The hinge part f of the abutment has two planesurfaces, which drop below the center r, upon which the abutment swings,against one of which plane surfaces the spring bears heavily when theabutment is shut, as shown by the black .lines in contact therewith inFig. II, and against the other when open, as shown by the red lines incontact therewith. One end of the spring is made fast to thebreechcasting by means of the screw e.

B, Fig. III, represents a combined removable and expansion breech-pin,whichexactly iits the bore of the gun at the breech, and is inserted andused therein whenever it is desired to use the gun as a muzzle-loader.This breech-pin has a chamber or cavity, as

'will remove an exploded cartridge.

Shown at b', for the reception of the powder,

and a percussion-nipple, as shown at b2. This chambered part is madequite thin and strong, so that it will expand when the gun is red, andprevents windage. A notch, b, is out through the flange to allow thepercussion-rod Gto pass in far enough to explode the cap. This removablebreeeh-pin may be applied very quickly and at any time when it isdesirable to use the gun as a muzzle-loader, and when 4 so used, powderand ball and percussion-caps are used in a common manner. The hooked barI will take hold of the flange of the breech-pin and draw it out of thebore, whenever desired, in the same manner that the said hookedrilzltr ehinged abutment may be easily thrown open by pressing the thumb of theleft hand against the projection f2. It is hinged lower down on thebreech-casting E than formerly, to ad- .mit of the full action of thespring A thereon.

D represents the gun-barrel, the breech end of which is inserted into acasting, E, which casting forms an extension-breech sufficient toreceive the hinged abutment F and other working parts of the lock.

G is the percussion-rod. This is peculiar in respect to its having aprojection, g', which will 'strike the fulminate or ange ofthe cartridgeand explode it when a cartridge is used, and

.the center end of the rod will strike the percussion-cap and explode itwhen that is used, and the one does not interfere in the least with theaction of the other.

H is the hammer.

I is a hooked bar, which is' made in one piece, and hinged to thehammer, as shown at t. There is sufficient room in the groove j toallowthis bar to work freely.

J is a grooved block, in which the hook-bar I works throughthe groovej', K, spring; L,

trigger, M, guard; N, stock, P, cartridge; Q,

ramrod; S, recess for end of hook-bar I. These last-named parts aresubstantially the same as described in my patent of July 7, 1863, towhich reference may be made.

v Vhat I claim in this patent, and desire to secure ias my invention,is-

The spring A, constructed and operating upon the hinged abutment F,substantially as herein described.

JABVIS DAVIS.

Vitnesses:

E. B. FoRBUsH, GEO. W. WALLACE.

